Antivibration vane



April 6, 1937. T. P. WRIGHT ANTIVIBRATION VANE- Filed May 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. 771E017 OFLP WRIGHT April 6, 1937. wRlGHT 2,076,259

ANTIVIBRATION vANE Filed May 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Apr. 6, 1937 ANTIVIBRATION YANE Theodore P. Wright, Bufialo, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Curtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation of New York Application May 22, 1935, Serial No. 22,716 a 2 Claims.

This invention relates to aircraft, and is more particularly smoothing the air flow past auxiliary bodies carried by aircraft.

In certain types of military aircraft, auxiliary bodies such as bombs or gasoline tanks are suspended below the fuselage in spaced relation 7 thereto, these bodies having a streamline form to minimize their resistance. Aircraft of this type are usually arranged to operate either with or without the auxiliary equipment, and it has been found that the use of the auxiliary body sometimes affects the .air flow over the fuselage to such a degree that turbulent air currents are produced at the empennage, causing vibration or interfering with effective operation of the control surfaces. This invention provides means for smoothing out these turbulent air currents by which substantially the same flight characteristics are obtained for the airplane whether the auxiliary tank or bomb be attached thereto or not.

An object of the invention is to provide means for smoothing the air flow over auxiliary bodies attached outside of an aircraft fuselage.

A further object is to provide a vane located forwardly of an auxiliary body on an aircraft fuselage by which the air flow over the auxiliary body is controlled.

Further objects include the design of an air controlling vane for an auxiliary body by which optimum air flow characteristics are obtained, and means for attachment of an air flow controlling vane to the fuselage of an aircraft.

, Further objects will become apparent in reading the annexed specification and claims and in viewing the drawings, in-which similar numbers indicate similar parts, and in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of an aircraft embodying the device "of this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the type of aircraft as indicated in Fig. 1, with the landing,

, control vane and its attachment to certain elements of the aircraft and/or auxiliary body;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail elevation of the air flow control vane as applied to an aircraft such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

55 Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the air flow conconcerned with apparatus for r body ll below the fuselage, has a corrective effect 0 trol vane and associated elements shown in Fig. 6.

The figures of the drawings depict an aircraft fuselage Ill provided with the usual power plant H, propeller l2, wings l3 and retractable landing gear Id. In the form of aircraft shown, the fuselage includes laterally spaced projections l5 on its lower side, the projections including between them a longitudinal channel 16. Within this channel, an auxiliary body I1 is suspended,

this body as shown in the first embodiment, be- 10 on the air flow by which the aforesaid vibration and control diificulties are eliminated. This vane comprises a segment of a ring, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the form thereof in front elevation, as shown in' Fig. 7, embracing the frontal 25 form of the tank H. The cross section of the vane l8 is an airfoil, as indicated in Fig. 6, and isso arranged as to angle of incidence and chord as to properly control the air passing thereover and therethrough. The proper conformation of 0 the vane I8 is probably best ascertained 'by'ex- 3 perimentation.

Attachment of the vane .I 8 is effected by means of brace struts l9 bolted as at 20 to suitable fittings 2| formed on part of the fuselage structure 22. An additional strut 23 may be provided to assume drag and anti-drag stresses imposed upon the vane. I

Figs; 3, 4 and 5'show substantially the same type of apparatus except that the auxiliary body comprises a bomb 24 supported within the fuse- 40 lage channel IS; The bomb requires a supporting and releasing structure which includes a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal struts 25 engaging the bomb at their rearward ends through fittings 26. These struts 25 are carried on their forward ends by part of the fuselage structure 21. Thus, the longitudinal struts 25 form a convenient means to which the segmental vane l8 may be attached, by means of suitable struts 28.

Aerodynamically, the effect of the vane l8 when used either with the auxiliary fuel tank or with the bomb, is the same, the only difference between the various showings being that of supporting structure for the vane. It is apparent that other suitable supporting structure might be developed by those skilled in the art for efiectively mounting the vane IS on the fuselage and in proper relationship to the auxiliary body.

While I have described my invention in detail in its present preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after understanding my invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. I aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

What is claimed is:

1. In aircraft having an external bomb releasably carried therebelow and having bomb supporting gear forward of said bomb, an airfoil vane carried by said supporting gear for-' 

